


Vanduk's Isolation

by B0bby22



Series: Vanduk's Life [2]
Category: Niche (Video Game)
Genre: Attempted Suicide, Blood, Clawing, Confusion, Crying, Curiosity, Darkness, F/M, God - Freeform, Hope, Insanity, Isolation, Lost - Freeform, Not really though, Reincarnation, Religion, Suicidal Intentions, Suspicion, a lot of it, head of his sister, hologram, yellow eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2018-12-17 03:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11843370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B0bby22/pseuds/B0bby22
Summary: Vanduk is stuck somewhere and is going insane.





	1. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know that this goes outside the game a bit but trust me. Remember that some of this stuff might cut abruptly because this story was originally on Niche amino. Bare with me please.

 

Everything started to be processed. The hole, his sisters being sucked away, his children begging for his help, Lame's head coming off, getting hit in the head again and bleeding, then ending up here...

He screamed

and screamed, and screamed, and screamed. His throat burned with a tingling sensation. His mouth wanted to spit and spill every word of how he was in agony. He flopped on the ground, rolled around, banged on it. He screamed and screamed so much, that he didn't realize that the green numbers floating around him were there, or that they were his own tears. He continued screaming for minutes, until nothing could come out.

Vanduk laid on the floor, sobbing out the flickering green one's and zero's. He wanted this to all be a dream, if he would've known that this would happen, he would've let go of Lame. At least there would've been a possibility of her being alive.

Slowly, he turned his head to the decomposing skull. She still bore the shocked expression she had when her head was ripped off. No. Not she. IT. It wasn't even a she, he, or they. Trembling, he touched it's head and rubbed it, as if he were congratulating Lame on something. Yeah, congratulate her on having three kids and immediately have them taken away from you, then die shortly after.

The soft fur was easily rubbed off, revealing a slimy layer of flesh, making Vanduk's paw sticky. He kept petting her where fur remained, savoring the softness. By the end of it, all of her fur has either been dissolved, fallen to the abyss-like ground, or stuck on Vanduk's paw. He quickly rose up from the ground, wiping the filth off of himself.

He stared deeply into the glassy brown eyes of his sister. Fear. It didn't need to be explained why she felt fear. He was the reason. The furless, slimy face was hideous. Worse than a spit snout. The putrid scent started to leak out, wafting into… What ever air was here.

This scent made Vanduk, extremely irritated. It started to thicken. It smelled of blood, feces, something. The smell was actually indescribable, but it furthered his anger.

He started to blame Lame for almost everything. Having cubs mainly, and sticking to Eve's plan. For not helping out him and Adam fight the Carnivore. Her ram horns would've saved them some trouble. There were many things Vanduk blamed on his deceased sister.

He still grew livid, blinded by his own rage, he attacked to skull. Tearing it of it's flesh. Scratching at some of the bone. Grabbing and ripping out the eyes and tongue, and whatever else could be ripped and thrown away. Biting at the slimy ears like a toy. Chewing at the jaw like tough food, ripping it from the skull. Piles of flesh dissolved into the floor, like chocolate on a hot day.

At the end of it, he was left with a skull. Yes, there was still some blood on it, but that didn't matter. All of its contents, except for the brain, were thrown into oblivion. It no longer showed fear, it didn't even show emotion. It was just a big, heavy skull that bore special horns, somehow.

As his rage began to cool down, Vanduk looked at his masterpiece. He picked it up, and traced a finger on the cheekbone. All of the organs and flesh were off. There wasn't any mushy or slimy part left, only blood. Some of the brain was still in there, keeping the nauseous odor. He couldn't bare it.

Immediately, he smashed the skull on the ground repeatedly, keeping it at a certain pressure point. Soon, the sound of a familiar sickening crack rang out, followed by a mushy sound. He turned the skull, revealing that it indeed had a decent sized opening, exposing the brain. He reached his small paw into the opening, dug, scratched, and pulled any fleshy mess out. The floor absorbed it immediately, as if it was hungry for it. Starving almost. The squishing noises stirred through his head. He would be considered a madman. He looked so, nonchalant about it, like it was his daily routine.

Finally, any crumb of brain left was dragged out, and the smell started to dissipate. There was still the faint scent of it but, it was small. It was bearable. Vanduk, suddenly having an idea, placed the skull on his head. Despite the odor still lingering, it was perfect. He could see clearly, he can stick his ears out, he can breathe out of it, plus it was extra defense and attack. For once, he smiled… Then laughed… Then cried while laughing. The skull bobbing with his head as he shook from laughter.

His hysteria was caused by the realization, that he was happy over having his sisters skull on him. He was happy that he teared it to shreds. He was happy, that she was gone. He hasn't been this happy in a long time, maybe when he only had one gem. He continued to follow his hysteric ways.

H e w a s h a p p y . . .  
~~~  
Vanduk realized after some time that he was alone, with nothing to do, no one to talk to, and having nothing to think of. He just looked at the flickering lights that seem to appear around him, like dying stars. A couple minutes ago, he tried chasing them, but it didn't matter how far he'd go. They'd remain far from his reach.

Isolation was a fate worse than death itself. He feared it, and because of his own fear, he got himself here in the first place. The thought of killing himself was an option, though no matter how many times he banged his head on the skull or try to rip open the still leaking, some sort of green substance, wound, it wouldn't work. Like some force field is protecting him. In the end, he'd put on the skull again and walk around.

Vanduk knew that he was going to go insane. If he already killed and tore apart his sisters skull, he might tear himself apart.

Suddenly, a loud ding noise rang through his head as a holographic notification came up. He read it.

'Please design the nichling belonging to Adam and Eve.'

What do you do?


	2. Continue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk investigates the hologram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is actually a crappy animation.

https://youtu.be/Icc-eYSw1sc  
To explain what happened, Vanduk pressed continue and created the cub. When he was done, he hesitated on pressing the done button. He conversed with it and unleashed any bottled up emotions and started begging for it to talk back. The baby came out of the holographic notification thing. He had a short conversation with him until he put him back into the holographic notification and it automatically closes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably might wanna watch the animation. It's on my YouTube PuppetFox22.


	3. Beg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gandhi see's the child again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm pretty dead inside. I'm almost done posting though.

That touch, the talking, it soothed Vanduk. This dreadful place is one of hell, but that might've been a break within it. It's gone now. The touch and talk dissipated. The dread came back.

He cried and screamed for, whatever that hologram was. He begged for it to come back. He begged for anyone to talk to him, to hold him, to care for him. Damn, even if it was a hallucination, he would've been happy with that.

Hours passed, at least that's what it seemed like, Vanduk spent his time crying and begging. 

Ding

He shot his head up. What he saw was like a hologram but different. Vanduk saw his parents but they weren't his parents, an he saw them with the blind child he made. They were teaching him how to talk. 

He stared in awe for a moment. This wasn't what he'd expect but honestly he couldn't be mad.

"Hello?"

No response. They didn't hear him or acknowledge him at all. Vanduk tilted his head as he pressed a paw on the hologram. He didn't go through it. It was like a window. 

After sometime, he looked around. There were things he didn't understand. The sunset-like button on the bottom right and the circles above it. The fact that sometimes Adam, Eve, or even the blind child, who's named Taduk, information would show up. Their genes, their immunities, their advantages, how fast they are, how much they can collect, how much strength they have. The day's seemed a lot faster than they were when he was 'alive.' The nights were faster than the days. It made Vanduk wonder if this life was similar to the one that he lived.

Days rolled by like minutes. Taduk finally got his third gem. At that point, he has a sister, Sime, and a brother, Dukro, who were both still at their second gem. They explored the grasses with interest. Vanduk took note of many things that were different from his life and theirs, one of which were rankings, at least the one on Adam and Eve. Instead of Eve being the alpha leader, she was the submissive omega guard, Adam became the leader. This Adam was a lot tougher than Vanduk's Ad@m. His Ad@m was always punny and insecure. It was like they swapped personality's. The kids on the other paw were different scenarios altogether.

Sime is a two gem beta fighter. She didn't take no for an answer and did what she want. She was carefully reckless and resembled her father more than anything. Dukro is a two gem beta healer. He was timid, kind of bashful… Pretty pathetic. Taduk was a whole different story. Despite him being blind, he was an excellent explorer and craved walking in the grasses. He is a three gem alpha berry picker. He was fearless and rather curious, he might get himself killed though. 

Something did peak Vanduk's interest. Ever since Taduk learned how to talk, he told his parents and siblings about a creature in a dark place with beige fur. They brushed it off like it was nothing, but as he learned more words, his description became more detailed. Beige fur, fluffy tail, runner leg and crippled paw, medium-like body, a ram skull was worn on their head, and his eyes were a piercing yellow. It didn't take long for Vanduk to realize that Taduk was describing him from his small encounter with, when he actually could see. The eye part started to convince them slightly.

As time went by, Taduk tried desperately to make the new tribe mates and his family believe him. He believed that Vanduk was a God of some sort and believed that one day, he'll go into a physical form for a short period of time. Some of his tribe mates believed him, while others just rolled their eyes. 

Vanduk thought about it for a moment. A God? He didn't see himself as anything powerful. Hell, he didn't even know what's going on or what to do. All he did was create cubs for the parents and cry for anything. He is practically desperate and touch starved. 

As sometime pass, Taduk became the leader of the tribe and started a plan in action, go to the green port. Everyone was getting bored of the small island they were on, so they agreed. They took Taduk and many honorable tribe members to populate the next island. 

The island surprised not only the travelers, but Vanduk as well. If he were the one traveling, he knew Ad@m and Ev3 would've been proud of him. The land was supposedly more challenging but also bigger, and showed Savannah tiles, Swamp tiles, and Grass tiles. It was a beautiful sight. 

Immediately, they started exploring and populating. Mela, the three gem beta fighter took lead. She, in one word, is awesome. She would tackle anything that was standing in her way. Sadly, time went fast and she died, but she died doing what she loved.

More of the island was discovered and the population was trying to get as much food and territory as they can. Suddenly, the entire island was discovered and all the grasses have been cleared away. At this point, Taduk and the original travelers were long dead, but his final words burned itself in Vanduk's memory.

"Vanduk will be here soon."

It kind of shocked Vanduk a bit. He doubted it but the intensity and seriousness of it still remained. 

Most of the population believed in Vanduk, but after the incident with a baby eating hawk, 25% of the believers started thinking that Vanduk was evil and malevolent, due to the birds era being yellow. Others think he was good and helpful. This actually made Vanduk laugh for awhile until it got frustrating. Many times he screamed at the hologram window that he's just a mortal who went to this isolated hell.

As the bickering went on, Vanduk started to think of something. The one question he is yet to ask.

'Why am I here?'

All he remembered from the incident was accidentally killing Lame, than flying head first into a rock that was also being sucked away, hitting the rock than bleeding any blood out until green numbers came of no where. Maybe that had to play role. 

His veins tingled slightly. Something did mix or replace his blood. The still open wound on his head tingled with a bigger sensation. He thought about taking his skull off to see what the solution was, yet if he did, wouldn't it leak all of his contents? Would they float away or comeback to him like he was sponge the numbers needed to fill. 

What would you do?


	4. Take off the skull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vandyke finds out what happens to himself if he takes his skull off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, the spam is done! Until next time.

Slowly, and steadily, he took off the skull, placing it on the nonexistent ground. Vanduk sat there, waiting for his answer, which hopefully to him, was the quick release of death. 

Within a flash, extreme pain hit him. He didn't know if it was death or just torture. The pain was blinding. Colors flashed before him, even though his eyes are shut.

Red, green, blue, purple, orange, orange, orange, yellow, red, pink, red, green, and so on.

Vanduk opened his eyes slightly, despite being in a limbo between bearable torture to unrealistic pain. He saw green numbers slowly sprit out of his open wound, then fly back to it, swarming it, opening it a tad, only to continue the repeated process. It is similar to a migraine, but thirty times worse. It throbbed badly.

Vanduk's paws quickly padded around for the skull. For what seemed like days, he found the skull, grabbed it, and shoved it on his head. The remaining numbers that flowed outside his head quickly flown into the eye sockets of the skull, and back into his wound, giving him one more stab of hurt.

A moment was all it took to relax, and forgot about the nostalgic pain. Hours, seconds, minutes, Vanduk looked back at the holographic window, checking on his 'subjects.' He laughed at the thought. 

Others were going about their business, usually helping the tribe and families. There's always a family he was interested with. The nut picking family. Ever since they got onto the island, the legacy of a nut collector was passed on to the eldest cub. Vanduk was waiting for one of them to rebel against the tradition. It would make for good drama.

There was also a new couple. A blind couple. Takuku and Remeis, their names were. Although they're crappy sighted, it's a cute relationship.

As the days have gone faster, the time got slower. Vanduk missed his family and started thinking back to the good old times. He especially thought about Ad@m and Ev3. Would they be proud of him, scared for him, or none. Were they even here, and would they feel those things if they were? 

His ears lowered. Ad@m said that he'd become something great, but he was merely someone stuck between existence and nonexistence. Fading and stabilizing within milliseconds. He was nothing but pathetic. How would Ad@m feel about that?

Now Ev3 was something else. Did she still hate him, did she respect him, does she forgive him. He lowered his head at the thought. He didn't want to kill Ev3. He was scared and so was Lame. A child was a responsibility that they weren't comfortable with until it was too late. Would Ev3 forgive him for that now? 

Beep zing

Vanduk was lifted from his thoughts to see what had disturbed him. A new notification shown, but it wasn't the 'make a new cub' one. It was new, different, strange. It read.

A new baby has been born under the title 'Vanduk.' Would you like to be reborn. You will come back here when you're done.

What will you do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it's pretty short but I was in a bad mental state while working on this.


	5. Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk is reborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually made this story awhile ago and just never got to post it here… yep.

                                           Hesitantly, he pressed 'Reborn.'

The process started out normally. The hologram would go away and that was the end of that. Then suddenly, a flash of light hit him. Everything was bright. Too bright. It hurt. Noises and brightness. Noises. Talking. Someone is talking. They sounded concerned or excited. They sounded confused. Noises began to rise, louder and louder, denser and denser.

Vanduk blinked his eyes as sunny rays and blurry vision hit him. Is this how a cub see's the world? Everything was black, white, and gray. Things in front of him couldn't be identified. He still heard voices. They were shocked and cautious.

He started to look around as his vision cleared up. He saw what could possibly be his mother. Ram horns, normal ears, medium body, claw, nimble fingers, hind legs, and presumably white fur. She stared at him in shock and fear. He recognized this nichling. She thought that he was evil. The fear and concern was in her eyes, and they were visible.

It quickly faded into night time. Everyone was asleep. It was dark. It was scary. It was silent except for the rustle of grass every now and then. It was nighttime.

The chirping of baby blue Hawks filled the early morning. Everyone woke up in an instant and did the basic things they did. Collect berries and nuts, look out for predators, and so on.

Vanduk opened his eyes sleepily. He can finally see color. The ocean was a deep, vibrant blue. The grass around him was yellow and orange. He saw different nichlings play and talk. For a moment, he forgot that he was reborn after all. That is until he stared at his 'mother' and stared in shock. She has yellow eyes, just like him. She looked at him like he was about to kill her.

                                                      _What do you do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poll in Niche amino for this story will start repeating Commit Suicide. Keep that in mind :,).


	6. Talk to her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk starts to talk to Kowari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

_"Hello Kowari."_

The ram-horned nichling stared at him in horror. Her body began quivering as she took a step back.

"No, no no no. You are not my son."

Vanduk looked to the ground and shook his head slowly.

_"I am merely just a tired soul."_

Kowari stared at him with weary eyes, trying to detect if he was lying. Her claw twitched. Vanduk took note that she wouldn't be friendly towards him, despite being part of her blood.

"So what are your intentions child killer?"

Vanduk was taken a back. He knew that he was worshiped and hated for his eyes, but to compare him to a blue hawk was not reasonable.

_"I understand that you hate me because of the blue hawks but I am nothing like them."_

"And how do I know that you're not lying."

The 'cub' sighed and stepped out of the nest. He did take note of the flinch his 'mother' made.

_"If I really was a child killer, wouldn't Taduk warn everyone about me instead of worship?"_

Kowari seemed to have taken that into consideration. That blind nichling was always sputtering on and on about a certain yellow eyed protector, or so it was told by the elders. Kowari relaxed slightly.

"So… you're not bad?"

_"Of course I'm not bad. If I was bad, I would be slowly killing you all."_

Vanduk chuckled but this seemed to make Kowari more tense. He stopped and stared at her.

"Sorry, sorry. It's been awhile since I could feel, smell, or even taste things!"

He picked up a nearby berry and ate it to prove his point. This made Kowari curious.

"What is it like in the clouds?"

Vanduk swallowed the Berry quickly and stared at her with wide eyes. He wasn't expecting that. There was nothing he could say or do. Heaven didn't exist. Where he stayed was full of digits and solitude. Should he really tell them about the hell he was really stuck in and that Taduk never saw him again, or should he lie and say that the most amazing things any mortal would want are there.

_"I wouldn't want to spoil it for you guys."_

He couldn't tell them.

~~~

Night time arose and everyone was asleep. He can hear the very few Rabbils stealing from their berry bushes. There was no point in stopping them. They had a right to survive on the land that was stolen from them. Vanduk was the only one up. He dared not to move but instead stare at the ocean that stretched for miles. It looked beautiful, especially with the moon light hitting it.

The sensations that Vanduk was given once again overwhelmed him. Back in the void, he only had his emotions and sight, maybe even hearing. Now he was givin back the senses he once had. Touch, smell, and taste. He expected them to make him feel like his old self, but when he used them, he felt only one thing. Nostalgia. That feeling hurt him. So instead of being overwhelmed by the happiness of having his life again, he was overwhelmed with nostalgia and the good times of when he had a family.

Slowly, he lifted his runners leg up to his face and touched it. It was wet. He was crying. He didn't understand why, but he was crying real tears. He didn't cry loudly like a regular baby, he just had wet, salty tears stream down his face. The feeling of it stuck to his fur discomforted him. He was so used to green digits flowing through his veins and escaping out his eyes. Those digits always faded away. These tears however, stayed.

God, he wished that he could go back to his his old life with his family.

~~~

The sun peaked through the clouds slightly. Today was Vanduk's first day at being a worker. His two gems told everyone so. His first job, berry picking. To be honest, he didn't mind it. Him and Kowari would talk about the events that happened within their lives and the multiple contemplations they'd have. It reminded Vanduk of the conversations he'd have with Lame. It was nice and relaxing. Kowari would still be weary of him but not to the point where she made accusations or quiver.

Kowari laughed as Vanduk told her about one of the nichlings he saw on the hologram get spawned within a cactus. Some of the nichlings looked at her for a moment and then went along with their day. She was howling with laughter. This comforted Vanduk greatly.

"How is that even possible!"

Vanduk shrugged. He honestly didn't want to give her an explanation on how those things worked. It was all so very complicated and confusing. Her laughter died down into snorts and giggles. It was kind of cute. She sighed.

"So, you told me that you had three kids. Who were they?"

Vanduk tensed up. He loves his cubs to death but the memory of them being taken away hurt. He sighed, trying to think of the positive memories.

_"There was Kirro, Raine, and Rotavan."_

Kowari smiled, listening intently.

_"Kirro is a lovely boy full of great energy and he had a great love for berries. He probably could've made anyone's day turn into a great one."_

"Why he sounds like a bundle of joy."

Vanduk chuckled.

_"He is."_

A slight breeze passed by, cooling their heated bodies.

_"Then there is Raine. She seemed to be a nonchalant kind of child. I mean, she is mute and that was our fault but there was a berry abundance at the time, so we couldn't teach her how to talk."_

Kowari nodded. It seemed that she had a similar experience as well.

_"Lastly, there is Rotavan. I don't know much about him."_

"How come?"

Vanduk tensed up at the same memory again. His newborn son, cried desperately as he was sucked away into the black hole.

                                                      _What do you do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The option for suicide doubles.


	7. Tell her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk starts witnessing something he needs to be weary of (or some shiz)

_"He died… All of them died."_

Vanduk couldn't say more. He just stays there, laid down on the ground looking at the clouds above him. Kowari frowns. She can't lie that she was expecting an answer like that, but the fact that she was right doesn't make her feel good.

"I'm sorry for your loss's."

He nods back at her and they both stare at the clouds. Silence. There is noise here and there and some chatter of nichling's, but besides that, it's silent. This was the thing Vanduk was avoiding, yet now it was welcoming. Why?

~~~

A nichling from afar stares at the mother and son as he collects nuts. He eyes them speciously. Ever since Vanduk's birth, Kowari started acting odd. She was always to herself and extremely stubborn, but now, she's laughing and moving around. Maybe it was her son who, in itself, is a strange mystery as well. He walks and talks and looks slightly intimidating yet approachable. He has been doing that since birth.

Kirnuta grumbles to himself. He doesn't like that kid, not one bit. Foot steps approach him.

"Hey nut job!"

It is Koko. Kirnuta glares at her. She knows that he hates that nickname.

"Are you still stalking Kowari and her son?"

He huffs.

"It's not stalking! It's watching from a distance."

Koko shrugs and rolls her eyes.

"Berry, burry. It's all the same."

She looks over at the pair and see's them just staring. She peers closer at them. Kowari is still staring at the clouds whilst Vanduk is staring at them with those yellow eyes. Yellow eyes that are like no other. They seem to glow like fireflies, even in the daytime. They seem like they can pierce through a nichlings soul. They seem like they can do all sorts of things.

Koko looks away quickly and starts picking up nuts. Kirnuta stares at her then cocks an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

She stops picking up nuts and looks up at him anxiously.

"The kid was staring at us, LIKE STARING at us."

They both turn to look at him again. Vanduk continues to stare back. They quickly look away and shudder. Koko sighs.

"I don't like that kid. He's an oddball."

Kirnuta nods in agreement. Something must be done.

~~~

The sky darkened and stars begun to wake. Must of everyone is asleep except for Vanduk. He sits at the edge of the land, watching the tides sweep onto land and recede into the water only to repeat again. His thoughts are running through his digital brain.

_'Why were they staring at him and Kowari?'_

They are only a 'family' of two, what's so special about it.

His ears perked in sudden alarm as he hears chattering near him. Vanduk walks closer to it, going farther and farther away from Kowari. He stands in a patch of grass. Swampland grass. The talking is a tad bit more louder. According to the noise, there's a group of nine nichlings talking.

"So what's your plan?"

"I say we take the kid and rub him against a cactus."

There is a loud groan.

"That's too messy, plus we don't want to leave anything behind. We would need to dispose of everything."

Vanduk squinted his eyes in confusion.

_'Dispose? What the hell are they talking about?'_

They start discussing other ideas.

"How about the Blue Hawks?"

"If your theory on him is true than of course they wouldn't take him!"

"And he already has two gems, so it wouldn't work."

Suddenly there is a sudden burst of arguing. For sure, the blind couple nearby must've woken up because of their sleep. The noise is so loud that it hurt Vanduk's head.

"Ladies, gentlemen, there's no need to argue."

Everything became quiet again. Vanduk leans in closer to get a better look at the nichling talking. The unusual panda pattern threw him off a tad, but he perked up a tad when he realizes who it was.

_Vanku._

"We all know that Vanduk has been a problem in our community since he was born, am I right?"

They all nod in agreement. Vanku smirks.

"So that means we want to get rid of him, but how do we get rid of this runt?"

He over exaggerated on the last part of the sentence. Vanku stares at everyone for an answer, but smile when none is heard. He proceeds to seductively walk behind an unknown female nichling and put his head on her shoulder, purring slightly. He rubs his crippled paw against her side. She seems to be into it. Vanku's violet eyes gaze around, admiring the attention.

"I propose that we kidnap the maggot, take him to the most isolated area of the island, aka here, tie his limbs together, and watch him drown."

The other nichlings glance at each other and show a sinister smirk. Vanku purrs loudly, satisfied at their response.

"I guess it's agreed upon. We'll be putting the plan into action tommorow night."

They howl in agreement. Vanduk quickly, and sneakily, runs back to Kowari and sits at the edge of the island, watching the water sweep and recede. He is shaking. He is shaking badly. He can't stop shaking. God, why can't he stop shaking? Why is he so afraid? He died once, why doesn't he want to die twice.

"Hey shrimp."

He slowly turns to look at the intruder behind him. It is Kirnuta.

"Why are you shaking hmm?"

_What do you do?_


	8. "Do you hate me?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Kirnuta, Koko, and a new enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bhjbkdzkjn Should Ive uploaded the new chapters a long time ago but laziness. This is gonna kinda be like a spam. Bare with me.

__

Art by HopelessDragon on Niche Amino

\---

_"He died… All of them died."_

Vanduk couldn't say more. He just stays there, laid down on the ground looking at the clouds above him. Kowari frowns. She can't lie that she was expecting an answer like that, but the fact that she was right doesn't make her feel good.

"I'm sorry for your losses."

He nods back at her and they both stare at the clouds. Silence. There is noise here and there and some chatter of nichling's, but besides that, it's silent. This was the thing Vanduk was avoiding, yet now it was welcoming. Why?

~~~

A nichling from afar stares at the mother and son as he collects nuts. He eyes them suspiciously. Ever since Vanduk's birth, Kowari started acting odd. She was always to herself and extremely stubborn, but now, she's laughing and moving around. Maybe it was her son who, in itself, is a strange mystery as well. He walks and talks and looks slightly intimidating yet approachable. He has been doing that since birth.

Kirnuta grumbles to himself. He doesn't like that kid, not one bit. Foot steps approach him.

"Hey nut job!"

It is Koko. Kirnuta glares at her. She knows that he hates that nickname.

"Are you still stalking Kowari and her son?"

He huffs.

"It's not stalking! It's watching from a distance."

Koko shrugs and rolls her eyes.

"Berry, burry. It's all the same."

She looks over at the pair and see's them just staring. She peers closer at them. Kowari is still staring at the clouds whilst Vanduk is staring at them with those yellow eyes. Yellow eyes that are like no other. They seem to glow like fireflies, even in the daytime. They seem like they can pierce through a nichlings soul. They seem like they can do all sorts of things.

Koko looks away quickly and starts picking up nuts. Kirnuta stares at her then cocks an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

She stops picking up acorns and looks up at him anxiously.

"The kid was staring at us, like STARING at us."

They both turn to look at him again. Vanduk continues to stare back. They quickly look away and shudder. Koko sighs.

"I don't like that kid. He's an oddball."

Kirnuta nods in agreement. Something must be done.

~~~

The sky darkened and stars begun to wake. Most of everyone is asleep except for Vanduk. He sits at the edge of the island, watching the tides sweep and then recede back into the water only to repeat again. His thoughts are running through his digital brain.

_'Why were they staring at Kowari and I?'_

They are only a 'family' of two, what's so special about that?

His ears perk up in sudden alarm as he hears chattering near him. Vanduk walks closer to it, going farther and farther away from Kowari. He stands in a patch of grass. Swampland grass. The talking is a tad bit more louder. According to the noise, there's a group of nine nichlings talking.

"So what's your plan?"

"I say we take the kid and rub him against a cactus."

There is a loud groan.

"That's too messy, plus we don't want to leave anything behind. We need to dispose of everything."

Vanduk squinted his eyes in confusion.

_'Dispose? What the hell are they talking about?'_

They start discussing other ideas.

"How about the Blue Hawks?"

"If your theory about him is true than of course they wouldn't take him!"

"And he already has two gems, so it wouldn't work."

Suddenly there is a burst of arguing. For sure, the blind couple nearby must've woken up from their sleep. The noise is so loud that it hurt Vanduk's head.

"Ladies, gentlemen, there's no need to argue."

Everything became quiet again. Vanduk leans in closer to get a better look at the nichling talking. The unusual panda pattern threw him off a tad, but he perked up when he realizes who it is.

Vanku.

"We all know that Vanduk has been a problem in our community since he was born, am I right?"

They all nod in agreement. Vanku smirks.

"So that means we want to get rid of him, but HOW do we get rid of this runt?"

He over exaggerated on the last part of the sentence. Vanku stares at everyone for an answer, but smirk when none is heard. He proceeds to seductively walk behind an unknown female nichling and put his head on her shoulder, purring slightly. He rubs his crippled paw against her side. She seems to be into it. Vanku's violet eyes gaze around, admiring the attention.

"I propose that we kidnap the maggot, take him to the most isolated area of the island, aka here, tie his limbs together, and watch him drown."

The other nichlings glance at each other and form a sinister smirk. Vanku purrs loudly, satisfied at their response.

"I guess it's agreed upon. We'll be putting this plan into action tommorow night."

They howl in agreement. Vanduk quickly, and sneakily, runs back to Kowari and sits at the edge of the island, watching the water sweep and recede. He is shaking. He is shaking so badly. He can't stop shaking. God, why can't he stop shaking? Why is he so afraid? He died once, why is he afraid to die again?

"Hey shrimp."

He slowly turns to look at the intruder behind him. It is Kirnuta.

"Why are you shaking, hmm?"

**What do you do?**


	9. Help him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk talks with Kirnuta

_"Do you hate me?"_

Kirnuta cocks an eyebrow at him, then squints them in suspicion.

"Why do you ask?"

Vanduk turns his trembling body towards him and looks him straight in his eyes. Kirnuta felt Vanduk's gaze bore right through him.

_"The only nichling that talks to me and loves me is Kow- Mom. Everyone else watches us from a distance with those faces."_

Kirnuta tilts his head.

"Faces? What faces?"

_"Those faces. Those fearful glances. Those irritated looks. Those disgusted snarls. All of those faces. All of you seem to hate us."_

Vanduk's eyes squint slightly, emitting a bright yellow glow.

_"Including you."_

Everything became quiet again. Kirnuta stood stalk still, choosing his next words carefully. The only problem with that is that no matter what, he'll never know what to say. Vanduk's body still trembles, despite being fearless now. It is cold outside. That's why he's trembling. The cold autumn breeze penetrates through his fur and onto his skin. They are icy breezes.

Kirnuta sighs, walking towards him. The cub trembles more and begins to walk backwards. Before he could slip into the water, Kirnuta grabs his runners paw and pulls him into his pelt. Vanduk froze. There is no where to run now. He can't bite him to leave, he'll get poisoned. He can't scratch him to leave, he'll run after him. He can't simply run away, it'll be too suspicious. Despite Vanduk feeling uncomfortable, he backs up into Kirnuta, enjoying the feeling of warmth from his fur and thick toxic skin. It can almost be considered blubber. Kirnuta sighs again.

"To be honest with you Vanduk, I don't know what I think about you."

Vanduk looks up at him, his eyes glowing warmly. He's snuggled into Kirnuta's body, enjoying the heat. Kirnuta continues.

"You've been this island's most interesting kid so far. We're not used to that. You remind us of the god Vanduk. The god that Taduk was sputtering about. We don't know whether he's malevolent or benevolent. We don't know much about him except his description and how Taduk encountered him."

Vanduk thought for a moment.

_'They were just confused and scared?'_

He lets his thoughts take over until he got an idea.

_"Do you know what he was sputtering about?"_

"Do I look like I'm two thousand three hundred years old?"

_"Two thou- ummm, no. No you don't."_

Did two thousand three hundred years really pass? It only seemed like a week or a couple days that this all happened. When this world was created.

_"Well, consider this. If Taduk spread the news about m- Vanduk, wouldn't it be good news? I mean, the elders always said that the theory about him being malevolent has only rose into question a while ago."_

Kirnuta lowers his ears.

"They said it was fifty years ago to be exact."

They sat there in silence, both not knowing what to say. Vanduk looks up at Kirnuta again and see's him staring off in the distance, contemplating. He looks like he's torn from one thought to another, wondering which is the right answer. Vanduk looks to the sea again. The moonlight glazes a strip of the icy ocean, making white sparks dance and glisten off of the water. It is beautiful.

Kirnuta feels more pressure on his body. Confused, he see's what it is. He see's Vanduk yawning, snuggling into him for warmth. For comfort. For touch. Kirnuta smiles a little at the sleepy cub. He's never had an encounter like this but it reminds him of himself when he was younger, when he would hide under his father so that a nightmare doesn't get to him or when it was too cold.

'Maybe he's just a regular cub after all.'

Kirnuta thought about it for a moment. He looks over to Kowari, who is sleeping in a nest. Carefully, he picks the cub up by his scruff and silently walks to Kowari, placing him down gently next to her. He walks away to his tree, his lonesome tree.

~~~

It is raining, and it is raining hard. Pellets beat the nichlings down until they had to hide under trees. Rabbils roam around, eating as they please but soon found that the rain pellets are unbearable. Big bodied nichlings could take the sharp sting of rain pellets for awhile.

Vanduk lays under the crowded tree, hiding under Kowari. The other nichlings are whispering to each other, whispering about them. Kowari grumbles in annoyance. She knows that her 'son' is a strange kid to them, but he is her son, despite being a god. She looks down at his sleeping form and smiles. She knows that he didn't get a lot of sleep last night.

"You have a nice kid you know."

She whips her head around to see the well known nut collector, Kirnuta. He's looking down at Vanduk, smiling slightly as well. Kowari stutters a bit.

"Oh um yeah, he's a lovely kid. I'm just sad that nichlings are weary of him because of his name."

Kirnuta frowns a tad, playing with Vanduk's mane.

"Yeah."

Kowari relaxes slightly.

"Everyone is so scared because he's different. He knows a lot more for his age. I like to think that he's an old soul."

"He sure acts like one."

Kirnuta chuckles, still playing with the cub's mane. Kowari grows weary of him.

"What do you mean acts like one?"

He stops in sudden realization of what he said. He turns to face her.

"Last night I noticed that he was awake. Man was he shaking like a leaf, I had to do something. We talked for a bit until he fell asleep near me. I guess he was so cold that he couldn't sleep on his own."

"Huh."

They stood there in awkward, but calming silence. The rain is still heavy, but it isn't concerning. The nichlings around them talk without much care, waiting for the rain to stop soon. Vanduk snuggles closer to Kowari as another gust of wind past by. She pulls him closer to her, hoping that he'll warm up. She begins to shiver. Kirnuta notices her shaking.

"Mind if I help keep you warm?"

She looks at him.

"N-not at all."

Kirnuta walks behind her and stops. He wraps his arms around her figure, pulling her into him. She purrs at the warmth.

"Thank you."

Now, with the comforting warmth of one another, they hope that the rain will not stop so soon.

~~~

Night time quickly arose. Clouds block the moon and stars, leaving them in total darkness. The night vision they have isn't as good for most nichlings, but for those who were born with yellow, purple, orange, blue, or toxic eyes, can see in the dark fine.

Vanduk stood at the edge of the sandy land, watching the waves splash back into the water. He's trying to think of an escape plan. The nearest port is near where Vanku's group meets and the other one stretches across the whole island. There's no way he'll be able to make it without them or someone else catching him. His other options are pointless as well. He doesn't want to involve anyone in this, especially Kowari. That leaves him with only one option. He looks into the water. His unsure reflection stares back. He's not sure if he can do it.

The quiet whispers and chatters reach his ears. Curious again, he begins to investigate. The noises lead him into the swampy grasses where Vanku's group meets. He peers through the grass to see them standing there, discussing how they're going to kill him. Vanku is talking like he's the real deal while everyone listens to, everyone except Kirnuta, who looks horrified and indecisive. Vanku notices Kirnuta's lack of agreement.

"Hey chubby! Why aren't you discussing the plans with us?"

Kirnuta looks up to see Vanku's purple eyes radiate a pulsing glow. They pierce right through him.

"I'm just, not sure if we should do this."

Vanku smirks while making his eyes widen.

"Why is that?"

"I mean, I was talking to the kid last night and he doesn't seem like what we thought. He asked me if I hated him. I didn't know how to respond."

"So you're helping that malevolent spirit!"

Vanku's smirk fades into a snarl. His followers are starting to circle around Kirnuta, closing him in. Vanku growls as Kirnuta tries to keep a straight face.

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU TRAITOR!"

Vanku bares his teeth at Kirnuta, ready to attack.

**What do you do?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you found the name Kirvan in here, that's supposed to be Kirnuta. I messed up on the writing and had to fix it.


	10. Commit Suicide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :,)

_'I need to help him!'_

Before Vanku could give the killing bite on Kirnuta, Vanduk leaps out of the bushes and tackles Vanku to the ground.

"What the!"

Vanduk looks down on Vanku and bites his neck. He howls in pain, quickly waking up other nichlings. Vanku knocks the cub off of him. Kirnuta, frantic and scared, runs over to Vanduk and picks him up by the scruff, running off with him. Before he could run away, one of Vanku's members jumps in front of him and attacks. Kirnuta tries the best he can to dodge it but he gets clawed in his shoulder. He grunts in pain as blood and a green fluid leaks out of him. Everyone backs away from him as the green liquid squirts out of his wound. Vanduk attempts to move his limbs away from the wound. Kirnuta pants through his nose. It hurts. Quickly, he runs past the clawed attacker, running through the tall grass. Vanku snarls.

"After him!"

The attackers chase after Kirnuta. Vanduk looks up to see the grass rustling and flowing away from them. If he lifts his head up more, he would be able to see the half moon glaring down on him. For once, he felt helpless. With only Kirnuta and Kowari on his side, he truly felt helpless. Just like that one time.

\---

The heat beat down on me as rain pellets dotted welts into my skin. Everything hurt and it was tiring. The atmosphere was boiling and me, a small, one gem cub, could do nothing. I couldn't scream out for help. I couldn't move around. I couldn't do anything except wallow in agony. I was useless, hopeless, helpless.

That's when I realized that I felt nothing touching me except softness. That softness was wet, but cold. I looked up cautiously only to see Ev3, staring down at me with that smile. That motherly smile I grew up to love. I snuggled into her, and then we both waited for the rain to stop.

\---

Vanduk is pulled out of his thoughts after a piece of grass scraps him. Kirnuta jumps out of the tall grass and sprints forwards. He out runs the attackers easily. Once he's close to Kowari, he puts down Vanduk, grabs the closest rock, and chucks it as far as he can. Kirnuta stares at the rock falling in the distance until he hears it drop. He turns to look at Vanduk, who's tucking himself into Kowari's fur. Kirnuta go's over to him and lays down beside them, eyeing the movement of the attackers.

"Over there! That idiot must've tripped on something!"

As quickly as it came, the rumble of pawsteps dissipated towards the direction of the rock. Kirnuta sighs, relieved that they have gone somewhere else. He looks at Vanduk, who is snuggled up between the two of them. He whispers.

"Vanduk."

_"Yes Kirnuta?"_

His ear twitches.

"We're going to have to get you off this island. All the available ports are far away from here. We're going to have to send you off by sea."

Vanduk is filled with dread. He can't do this. Kirnuta looks determined as he glances around, looking for any possible materials. He nods his head.

"We're going to need that nest, acorns, dodomingo droppings, and bark."

Vanduk stares at him in horror.

_"Why poop?"_

"Because dodomingo poop is water resilient and super sticky. It can glue the nest together and make it able to float on the sea. Plus, it's scent less."

They stare at each other for a moment.

_"How are we supposed to get it."_

Kirnuta makes a 'tsk' noise.

"It's practically in every nest."

He looks over at the nest Kowari is sleeping in.

"Plus that one has more than enough."

The two of them nod and get to work. Kirnuta collects the nuts, grass, and bark whilst Vanduk is smoothing the 'glue' out, making it stick to the dried grass in the nest. During the process, Kowari woke up and decided to help Vanduk after he told her what's happening.

Within an hour, the make shift boat is ready. The nest is widened so that it can fit Vanduk and the acorns. The bark keeps it together and prevents the waves from tipping it over easily. The whole thing looks shiny due to the dodomingo poop keeping it together. Kirnuta sighs and wipes his forehead with his hand. Kowari scratches the back of her neck.

"We did it."

Kirnuta nods.

"We sure did."

Vanduk yips as he's grabbed by the scruff and put down in the boat. He stares up at them. They look down at him with sad smiles. They realize that this is the last time they'll be able to see and interact with the small cub. Vanduk realizes the same thing as well.

_"Where will I be going?"_

Kirnuta looks at him and smiles.

"We don't know, but maybe you'll be able to see the land of our ancestors."

Kowari weeps quietly.

"Vanduk, even though I'm not exactly your, you know."

She glances at Kirnuta for second.

"But I will miss you and I'll love you."

She leans down to lick his forehead. Vanduk squints back, waiting for pain, but it doesn't come. He forgot that this body doesn't have his scar. He forgot a lot of things. Vanduk looks up and see's them. The two nichlings that have cared for him. He feels sad. He wants to stick by them until they die. Why did it have to be like this?

"THERE HE IS!"

They turn their heads to the upcoming riot. Vanku smirks as he sprints forward. Kirnuta gasps, making haste in pushing the boat towards the water. Kowari pushes the nest away with her hind legs. She growls and snarls at the attackers. They all stop and stare at each other.

"Stand aside guys."

Vanku walks towards the two as they struggle to push the boat into the water. Vanku stomps on Kirnuta's tail, making him yelp. Kirnuta is about to snap at him until Vanku grabs him by his chin.

"Oh you pitiful thing. One moment you hate the demon, the next you love it. How stupid of you to change your mind."

Kirnuta shakes his head out of his shock and moves out of Vanku's grip.

"I'm not going to allow you to kill that child!"

Vanku's teeth show. He walks towards Kowari, who's pushing the boat away. As he approaches her, Kirnuta blocks his way. Vanku growls.

"Back off!"

"Never!"

They both start to fight. The nichlings watch, unable to know what to do about it. Kowari quickly nudges the boat aside the edge and watches Vanduk drift away farther into the ocean. Vanku stares at her wide eyes.

"You. YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Kowari gasps as Vanku leaps onto her. Kirnuta tries to tear him off of her, but fails. They continue to fight. Vanku's army stares in shock, still unsure of what to do. Vanduk looks at them sadly. He's unsure of how to feel about all of this. Will he be able to live normally on land or will he stay out here forever. Suddenly, he looks down to see water float towards him, slowly sinking his boat. He panics. The glue didn't seal a certain spot on the bottom. Vanduk looks up at the fight happening in the distance, then at the ocean.

**What do you do?**


	11. Get the help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanduk dies.

He looks down into the grimy depths of the ocean. It almost swirls around him as if he's being slowly drawn into a whirlpool. He can feel his nerves vibrating inside his skin and flesh, reacting to the possibilities he's thinking. There is only one possibility though, nothing else. His body thinks that if he stands there, he'll be fine. He'll be safe. Of course, it's not like that.

Vanduk sighs, takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and falls into the cold ocean. The impact hits him after he is sinking into the arms of the sea. Slowly falling into their embrace, and making him one of their own. He lets go of his final breath and opens his eyes, ravishing in the stinging sensation that hits his yellow orbs. He feels the coldness become warm, and the sinking become rocking. The water soon fills into his body through his nostrils and mouth. His vision becomes blurry at the edges. Vanduk, believed as God of them all. Believed as a protector or destroyer of them all. Believed to be all knowing and mysterious by them all. Believed to have the most gorgeous, yet intimidating eyes of them all, experiences death for the first time. A painful death.

His back falls onto the soft, white sand below him. Before Vanduk's vision fades, he see's his final sight. The water is lighter, and multiple rays of moon light shine through it. Fish of all kinds and all sorts that he's never seen dance around him. Some investigate him, some swim past him, some suck the life out of him. He is numb to the pain and is quite glad that at least he could ease their hunger in one way or another. Slowly, his limbs give out, his energy fades away into twitches, and his eyes close, welcoming his body to the sea, yet his soul floats to the numbers.

~~~

_Today is a hot, breezy day. I patrol the area and look in the grass to find prey, or new tribe mates. My 'warrior' eyes, as dad calls them, scan around the area. I thought that everything is thoroughly checked and walk off, until I hear rustling. My ear twitches backwards, picking up on the rustling noises. I go back to that patch of grass. As I get closer, I hear something else from it. It's breaths are drawn out and raspy. It pants after every breath. It's throat rumbles like an earthquake. That's when I knew that I'm about to encounter a predator._

_Brown, ugly beasts that crawl out of the grass and snatch us, eating us whole. It chuckles at my dread and smirks. It's teeth don't stick out too much. A young adult. Quickly, it pounces onto me and claws at my head, making a rather small wound. I look back at it and I see it charge at me. I charge back. I jump into the air and latch onto it's neck. It howls in pain. I keep holding on to it's neck, even as it tries to shake me off, I bite down as hard as I can. It's struggling weakens until it completely collapses with it's last cry. I let go of it and stare at the scene. Blood pours from it's neck as it's ear twitches. I know there's blood all over my mouth. It's all over my neck and face. I continue to stare down at it's bloodied corpse._

_Life is a journey. Life will never give anyone, no matter who they are, they won't give them sweet luxury. You'll have to realize that there will be good times, and there will be bad times. You need to hang onto those bad times, hold them close to you._

~~~

Darkness with sparkling green dots flicker across Vanduk's vision. He doesn't even remember opening his eyes. All he felt was the suffocating pain of drowning, then numbness. He still feels numb. In death, do you feel numb? Empty? Relief? Hurt? Or, is he still alive? Who knows.

Vanduk slowly lifts his head up, putting a paw on it. He rubs his paw against the smooth, cold surface. That isn't his head. He continues to feel it, making out its outline. His nubs got to a horn-like structure. Oh, right. Lame's skull. She's dead. He killed her. He skinned her. He tore into her. He wore her. The sliminess, the skin. The flesh. The blood. Where is his blood? Where is his tears? Why are numbers floating out of his eyes and back into it's skull? What are these numbers? What is this darkness? What was that black hole, and why. Dear lord why, did it appear? Why is he still alive?…

All of that contemplating Vanduk experienced made him oblivious to the hologram that appeared beside him a while ago. It displays it being daytime. A bunch of familiar nichlings gather around a shore that has three skeletons laying there. They stare blankly at those skeletons, then look somewhere else, and now some start to move. Vanduk looks around the island. There's the Breeding nest, the Boom Town, the Slimy Creek, Pebble Lane, and the multiple Log Watch posts, but he can't find what he's looking for. Then he remembers The Nut Family. A long family line of nut collectors who remain in one spot, and that is by the tree. He checks the tree. There lay six acorns, ready to pick up. No body is there.

Suddenly, a notification pops up.

'Three _save files_ exist. Would you like to see all the save files?"

Vanduk wearily looks at it and curiously, yet frightfully, pushes 'yes.' The notification goes away and two more hologram monitors appear, displaying two other islands, other nichlings, other lives. They move around with the same blank faces, the same dull movements, the same everything. Text show above the holograms. Vanduk, Mashed potatoes, and Cherry Cola. He cocks his head to the side at the mention of his name. Why is one of the worlds named after him? Is this place aware of his existence? He looks around, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Only one world has nichlings moving around.

He realizes that with more worlds, more possibility's, more nichlings, he's going to need help.

  
**What do you do?**

****

**End cover**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now onto to Vanduk's Demo!


End file.
